LG G Watch, Samsung Gear Live, and Moto 360: Smartwatches Compared

SAN FRANCISCO—It was the Summer of Smartwatches at the Google I/O developer conference this year. During a lengthy Wednesday keynote, Google revealed that the Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch are now availbale for pre-order on Google Play, while the Moto 360 would follow later. However, all the watches were available at the conference, and I got my paws on all three. Read on for my first impressions.

LG G Watch In a presentation from LG, the company's representatives pointed out that LG has previously made two smartwatches (including the LG Watch Phone) and this experience informed the design of the G Watch, which is now available for pre-order and will ship next month.

The watch itself has a square, touch-screen display mounted in a rectangular housing. The band, which is made of the premium-quality rubbery plastic you find in health trackers, connects to two posts the same as a watch band and fastens with a buckle. Other bands in various materials and designs will also be available. The overall build seems very solid, though the screen felt diminutive compared to the Moto 360.

Samsung Gear Live Like the LG G Watch, the Gear Live is also available for pre-order and sports a square design. This is a greatly slimmed-down vision of a smartwatch, compared to the original bulky Galaxy Gear. The housing is smooth and sourrounds a bright square screen. On the back is a small sensor that can be used to gather the user's heart rate, positioning this smartwatch in an interesting category between health tracker and Android Wear device.

I had a few quibbles with the Gear Live's design. The housing connects directly to the band, so I could imagine that a large wristed individual (perhaps very, very large) would have difficulty getting it to fit comfortably on his or her arm. The Gear Live I examined also uses a rubber band, but I didn't like the feel as much as the LG G Watch.

I had no trouble fitting the Gear Live to my body, but I struggled with the clasp. Instead of a buckle, Samsung used two metal nubs that you press through holes in the band. It's difficult to get on, and seems like it could be easily disengaged from the wrist. I don't know if Samsung will make other bands available so I am withholding my judgement for now.

Motorola Moto 360 Because Motorola's smartwatch wasn't immediately available like the other two, it had an air of mystery around it. Representatives were even shy about talking specs.

But what I did see of the Moto 360 was very impressive. The band, which on the version I examined was suede, connects via two posts like most watches and the LG G Watch. The face of the device is circular, and the screen is gorgeous. While the other watches looked like small displays, the Moto 360 seems to spill over the sides—no doubt because there is very little bezel around the display. The Moto 360 also packs a physical button on the side to wake the display, but it also responds to voice, touch, and motion—as do the other two watches.

However, the price for the glorious screen is the sheer thickness of the Moto 360. It's easily thicker than a Double Stuf Oreo, perhaps even the ones that have icing on the outside. That doesn't make the Moto 360 unpleasant to look at, but I am sure the hefty design will rub some the wrong way.

Still Early All of these smartwatches are very new—some even not on the market—so it's too early to judge which is better or best. But what is clear is that this next generation of wearables is more cohesive and sensible than the last round. This is no doubt thanks to iterative design, but I got the impression that Android Wear also provided some direction in their development. We'll know more once we get them into the labs.

Max Eddy is a Software Analyst, taking a critical eye to Android apps and security services. He's also PCMag's foremost authority on weather stations and digital scrapbooking software. When not polishing his tinfoil hat or plumbing the depths of the Dark Web, he can be found working to discern the 100 Best Android Apps.
Prior to PCMag, Max wrote for the International Digital Times, The International Science Times, and The Mary Sue. He has also been known to write for Geek.com. You can follow him on...
More »